


Days in the Dark

by Ardyn_LC



Category: Final Fantasy XV
Genre: Abuse, Alpha!Ardyn, Alpha!Gladio, Alpha/Beta/Omega Dynamics, Blood, Blood and Injury, Breastfeeding, Family Feels, Forced Bonding, Healing, Hurt/Comfort, Implied/Referenced Rape/Non-con, M/M, Mental Abuse, Mentions of miscarriage, Mpreg, POV Alternating, Starvation, Tags to be added, Temporary Character Death, alpha!Noctis, beta!ignis, non-graphic childbirth, omega!Prompto
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-04-05
Updated: 2019-05-18
Packaged: 2020-01-05 09:40:19
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Rape/Non-Con
Chapters: 6
Words: 18,564
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/18363440
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Ardyn_LC/pseuds/Ardyn_LC
Summary: Prompto is stolen away by Ardyn in Zegnautus Keep, forcefully bonded to the enemy Alpha. What follows, is ten long years under Ardyn's captivity, losing hope of ever being rescued, and simply submitting to survive. If not for himself, then for his little ones.Relevant warnings at the beginning of each chapter. This fic may contain upsetting implications, but nothing is graphic.





	1. Taken.

**Author's Note:**

> **This chapter contains mentions of forced bonding.**
> 
>  
> 
> Each chapter will have the appropriate warnings posted here. Please read at your own caution.

Zegnautus Keep was like an endless maze, full of traps and MTs waiting to pounce on the next unsuspecting victim to round the corner. Noctis was exhausted, having run these halls for literal hours in pursuit of his best friend. The best friend that he had… that he had pushed off the train. Forced to do so under an illusion, but that didn’t make him feel any better at all. The fact was, they had lost too much already and his rash actions had sent Prompto right into the hands of their most dangerous enemy. He was at his wit’s end, even now that he had reunited with Gladio and Ignis.

They had been forced to stop in an old dormitory to patch up some wounds. They were trying to spare their potions… just in case their omega needed them. Ignis was worst off; still adjusting to his blindness made fighting difficult but he was doing very well to only be dealing with scrapes and bruises.

“I feel like we’re not getting anywhere… I don’t even know if he’s here anymore…” Noctis muttered, holding his head in his hands. His knee bounced anxiously.

“I do not believe Ardyn would be pushing us in this direction without good reason. He knows fine well that we will not play whatever game he has waiting without assurance of Prompto’s safety,” Ignis said calmly while Gladio wrapped a cut on his arm. As the beta of the group, keeping calm and level-headed was Ignis’ specialty.

“He’s here, I can smell it. No way that prick could replicate Prompto’s scent so accurately,” Gladio almost growled. An alpha like Noctis, Gladio had presented as a young teen and was very in tune with his senses. Unlike Noctis, who hadn’t presented until eighteen. “Are you hurt anywhere?” he asked. When Noctis said nothing, Gladio gave his shoulder a firm nudge to make him look up. “I said, are you hurt?”

“No… no I don’t think so, we should go,” Noctis said, standing up. He didn’t get far; Gladio pushed him back down.

“Yes you are. There’s a cut in your shirt,” he said, grabbing the first aid kit again and shoving Noctis’ shirt up to take a look. It wasn’t a terrible wound, just a long, thin cut. It wasn’t even bleeding anymore, so he just cleaned it up and covered it with a clean bandage.

“We need to keep moving.” It wasn’t a suggestion, but an order; the order of their King. Gladio and Ignis did not protest, but got themselves to their feet to move on. They’d had a chance to rest and now they needed to find Prompto.

The rest of the Keep was as much of a maze as the first part had been. It was easier now that they were together, and Gladio’s keen nose kept them in the right direction. At least, they could only assume it was the right direction. They seemed to be heading deeper and deeper inside, and finding more and more demons along the way. Noctis was using them to vent his frustration, his father’s sword cleaving through them before Ignis or Gladio got much of a chance to even help.

They came to a larger, open room that was swarming with demons; smaller ones like goblins and flans, but difficult because of the number of them. But there was something humming in Noctis’ chest. Something seemingly calling to him from nearby. There was a room across from them; a door that just seemed important. If, of course, he could just  _ get _ to the damn thing.

“There’s too many of them!” He snapped in frustration, cutting through another goblin. “We’re almost there, I can feel something… I can feel my magic reacting.”

“It must be the crystal,” Ignis said, doing well to hold his ground against so many fast enemies coming at them. “Noct, go on ahead! We’ll hold our ground here and clear the area!”

“Are you crazy?! I’m not leaving  _ anyone _ else behind!” Noctis said, warping closer to his companions.

“Ignis is right, you need to go! With the crystal’s power we stand a better chance. We can manage here, Noct!” Gladio shouted, using his sword and shield in tandem together. He was able to keep close to Ignis and keep his back safe. “Then we can stand a better chance of finding Prompto too,” he added.

It was enough to sway Noctis’ decision. They  _ were _ right. If he could tap into the crystal’s power he could clear through the demons much quicker; and possibly even get Ardyn out of their way. “Damn it. Fine! You guys be careful. Retreat if you have to!” He ordered, reaffirming his grip on his sword. With confirmation from his trusted Shield and Advisor, he threw the sword across the room and warped after it, phasing past the demons with almost minimal effort. They didn’t even try to follow him; Noctis assumed it was because of the crystal.

The room was huge, bigger than any other area they’d seen of the Keep. The crystal sat in the middle, chained in place and taunting him with its magic flow. It was a long drop, with nothing more than a platform walkway leading to the glowing crystal. Noctis took a deep breath as he entered, feeling the magic tug at his own. It felt…  _ good _ . Almost like coming home to the Citadel used to feel… it felt like so long ago now.

There was something wrong that caught his eye; a figure laying in front of the crystal… one glance of shocking blonde was all Noctis needed to see before he was running across the platform. “Prom!” he called, hoping,  _ praying _ to see him move at all. He dropped to his knees the moment he reached him, grabbing at Prompto’s arm and searching for any sign of life… any sign that he wasn’t too late. 

Noctis could have cried when he saw the small puffs of freezing air coming from his best friend. He was  _ alive _ and the relief hit Noctis right in his heart. He was unconscious, but he was alive. Noctis looked up at the crystal looming over them. Magic flowed from it in waves of blue and purple, just like he always remembered it doing. 

“I’m here…” he muttered, standing up to hold his hand out towards it. “I made it. Please… give me strength. Help me keep my friends safe. Help me save them,” he pleaded. If he could just get them all out of here safely, they could regroup with Cor and start a plan of action. They could get rid of Ardyn and be done with the Empire’s schemes. He carefully stepped over Prompto when he felt the crystal’s call pull hard at him. 

Something was  _ wrong _ . His ears were ringing loudly as his fingers brushed over the cold rock, and then it was like he couldn’t move. The pull he had felt to his magic became a pull to his entire body, his hand sinking into the crystal before he could even think to pull back and do anything. 

“Ah, it calls you home at last…”

Noctis’ head spun around at the sound of Ardyn’s voice. There he stood in the middle of the walkway, as if he had been there the entire time. “No,” Noctis gasped, trying to pull his arm free. Oh god, what was happening? Why wouldn’t it let him go?! Ardyn sauntered forward leisurely, as if he had all the time in the damn world.

“Oh Noct…” he drawled. “‘To crown the King of Light is the calling of the Crystal’, or did you never pay attention to your own prophecy? It has called you forth. And now it seeks to test your worth,” he chuckled, stopping once he reached Prompto, still unconscious on the floor. “You made it oh so  _ easy _ . I knew you would come for your  _ dear _ Prompto. And here you are, right in the center stage where I put you. ‘The Stone - chrysalis to the soul of our star,  _ cradle  _ to the King destined to serve as vessel of its Light’. Oh you are a fool… your father must be turning in his shallow grave.”

“Shut up! Shut  _ up _ !” Noctis shouted, desperately trying to wrestle himself free now that the crystal had continued to pull him in, immobilizing half of his body.

“A cradle. Rather a fitting description, isn’t it? Somewhere to put a sleeping  _ infant _ . And you have acted like a child for too long. Running around with your friends, thinking you can save the world? A true fool. Now, your journey has come to a close.”

“The hell is your  _ problem _ ?! Why are you always following us? Hunting us down? What do you  _ get _ from any of this?!” Noctis snapped.

“Ah. A long tale indeed. Long ago, there was a savior in Lucis. One who could heal those afflicted with the starscourge that ravished mankind. A man whose body became host to demons, in order to spare the lives of his people. But he was to be betrayed by a jealous King, not chosen by the crystal. Ostracized and demonized by the people he had saved. Cast out as a monster, and locked away for countless centuries…” Ardyn said, a small flicker of emotion crossing his face too fast for Noctis to make any sense of. “I gave you my name before, but it was not the name given to me. Ardyn Lucis Caelum, if you must know. And I have waited many,  _ many _ years for you to meet me here, before this crystal. This cursed rock. And now you shall claim the power it provides. And when you return… I will kill you. And the King of Light will be no more.”

Noctis barely had any freedom left, the crystal having claimed his lower body and his arm. He could barely even struggle anymore as Ardyn crouched down at Prompto’s side. “No! Leave him alone!” he snarled, but Ardyn ignored him, sliding an arm under Prompto’s shoulders to sit him up and hold the young omega against his chest.

“Leave him? Now why would I do that? After all… you gave him to me, when you so  _ mercilessly _ pushed him off that train,” Ardyn chuckled, holding Prompto firmly while his other hand pulled the collar of Prompto’s jacket down. “And now, he belongs to me.”

The mark in the soft skin of Prompto’s glands was bold; red raw and bleeding sluggishly down his neck. Noctis could only stare at it in  _ horror _ . 

“It suits him, doesn’t it? I must offer you my sincerest of thanks. It’s been a  _ very _ long time since I had some company,” Ardyn said, tucking a hand under Prompto’s knees and standing up with him in his arms.

“No, no, no… no you  _ can’t _ do this! Leave him alone damn it!”

“If you were so fond of him, you should have claimed him yourself. Instead you sent him to me, like a lamb to the lion’s den. A young, unbonded omega… honestly, you truly are just a child playing King. And I have taken it  _ all _ from you, the way your family took everything from me. Your home, your throne, your darling fiance… now too your beloved friend. Think of it as motivation! I do so look forward to seeing you again soon, Noct,” Ardyn said, chuckling deeply as he turned away to walk down the platform.

When he reached the end, Ignis and Gladio arrived, having somehow made it through the small army of demons. Gladio grabbed Ignis’ arm, pulling the advisor behind him as he drew out his sword again, growling at the other alpha.

“Ah, I wouldn’t do that if I were you. Wouldn’t want to carve dear little Prompto in half now, would we? Besides, you should be more worried about your King,” Ardyn teased.

Gladio… had no choice. He couldn’t attack without putting Prompto in danger, and the omega’s scent was… he didn’t want to believe it, but it was mingled somehow with Ardyn’s. He was forced to watch as Ardyn just walked right past them, carrying Prompto away.

“Where is Noct?” Ignis asked sharply. Gladio hesitated for a moment, debating if he could run after Prompto- but he  _ couldn’t _ . He grit his teeth. His duty to Noctis had to come first, whether he liked it or not. He took Ignis’ arm and led him into the room with the crystal, looking around for Noctis. 

All that remained was one hand, reaching out of the crystal’s light. “Noct!” Gladio shouted, letting go of Ignis’ arm so that he could sprint across the platform to try and get to him; grab him and haul him free. But by the time he got there, the hand was gone.  _ Noctis _ was gone. And so was Prompto.


	2. Reuben

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> **CHAPTER WARNINGS: Implied rape, mental abuse, mpreg, mentions of miscarriage, non-graphic childbirth, starvation.**

Prompto had completely lost track of how long it had been. He had lost track of time once the daylight had finally vanished… not that he often got to see the sky anyway. He had tried to fight. He had kicked and screamed and scratched and bitten; anything to get away from Ardyn and the Citadel that had become his prison. He had escaped once, when there was still just an hour or so of daylight left. He had only made it across perhaps half of the city before night fell and the demons almost killed him. Somehow Ardyn had cut off his connection to Noctis’ magic, leaving him completely defenceless with no weapons to protect himself with. He had been dragged back, bleeding, exhausted and defeated.

The mating bond kept him in line. The moment Ardyn felt the need to use his alpha voice, Prompto was practically crawling on his knees to do as he was told. He’d been able to fight that too, at first. But now he had lost the willpower.

_They’ll never come for you, Prompto. They don’t need you anymore. Noctis was oh so keen to throw you from the train, wasn’t he? They didn’t even come for you at the Keep! Their precious crystal was all they wanted._

They hadn’t come for him… Noctis, Ignis and Gladio had never tried to save him from the hell his life had now become. He was nothing more than a slave. Someone to give Ardyn entertainment when he was bored. Someone to warm his bed. A subject of ridicule and someone to treat with cruelty. He had to _earn_ his freedoms and his rights to food, a comfortable bed and any freedom to walk around the Citadel. He was under no illusion; Ardyn always knew where he was. Always knew what he was doing. Lurking and watching all the time… Other than that, Prompto had not seen another person in years. He was alone.

Well… not entirely.

“Not yet… you’re not ready yet,” he mumbled to the empty room, rubbing a hand over his enlarged belly. “ _Please_ not yet. You need more time baby,” he begged, having to use the wall to slide himself down to sit on his mattress. He had been lucky enough to earn himself a room to be locked in, with access to a bathroom too, but all he had was this mattress, a blanket and two pillows. He could look out the window if he really wanted to; but it stayed locked. Probably so he wouldn’t throw himself out of it and put an end to this nightmare.

But he wouldn’t. He wouldn’t do that to his baby. It… wasn’t his first. But it was the first to survive so long. If the clock on the wall was at all reliable, the contractions had been coming hard for a few hours now, but he knew it was early. Too soon, he wasn’t ready. He didn’t have any clue what he was doing… he didn’t know how to deliver a baby at all, never mind all by himself. He couldn’t… _wouldn’t_ consider asking Ardyn for any help. No, it wasn’t worth the risk. Not his baby… he didn’t want Ardyn to touch his baby. Ardyn had been entirely uninterested in the entire process for the last eight months, other than _making_ the baby. There was nothing in the man that held any care for his own offspring, and Prompto was fine to keep it that way, if it meant there was any hope at his child being better than _him_.

But it was hard when his child decided that they weren’t waiting any longer and they were coming to see this ruined world _now_ . There was nothing more he could do, hands clenched tightly in the blanket under him as he let his body lead the way. He had never felt a _pain_ like it in all his life. At some point, he was sure he had blacked out for a moment or two, but he couldn’t afford to stop; his baby was relying on him to get something right. When the pressure was relieved, all he could hear was _screaming_ , and it took a moment to catch some breath before he could even think of moving. He reached down to lift his crying child into his arms, securing them against his chest and just _breathing_.

“I’m here… I’m here, it’s okay,” he said softly, trying to somehow ease the crying; he’d give anything to not have to hear them in such misery. “I know it’s scary, trust me I know. But I’ve got you,” he muttered. He sat like that for a while, rocking back and forth as best as he could when all he wanted to do was lay down and sleep, but eventually it was enough to calm the tiny human he’d made. So tiny, he could hold them easily in his hands.

Time passed, unaware again of how long he just sat there and rocked until his baby was sleeping. There was so much he needed to do… The blanket and the mattress were a mess of blood that he probably wouldn’t be able to clean out at all, but he had nothing else to sleep on. He needed to find a way to cut the cord and clean his baby. Clean himself. He wasn’t too sure he could even stand long enough to do any of it… but most importantly, he needed to feed his baby. His… his _son_ . He had so little to give him; male omegas just didn’t have the space to produce milk like a woman could. Whatever he _could_ provide wouldn’t be enough.

He was awake enough to be aware of the lock on his door turning, and adjusted his hold on his son to try and shield him from view. He didn’t care if Ardyn saw the half naked mess of blood and sweat that he was; the man had already stripped away enough of his dignity, there was nothing more he could take. Ardyn stopped, barely two steps inside the room.

“Well, _this_ is a surprise,” he said, taking in the sight. Prompto clearly hadn’t moved at all since this happened, if the state of him was any indication. “I was so sure I had heard you screaming all the way from downstairs. It’s a wonder you’re even awake,” he teased so easily. Prompto wished he had the strength to punch that smirk off his face… wished the scent of him wasn’t so _calming_ to their bond.

“Ardyn… please… he needs food…” he pleaded quietly. He had no choice but to beg, if it would give him a chance to give his son the best hope of survival. “I’ll do anything, please, just food and something warm to wear…”

“So desperate to save him? There is little hope for a child in the world now Prompto. You only make it harder on yourself.”

“ _Please_ Ardyn, please… please he’s your-”

“I wouldn’t say another word, if I were you,” Ardyn warned, his tone no longer teasing but menacing. “If you’re so insistent on it then fine. I shall find what you need… you’ll find it in the kitchen,” he said with a dismissive wave of his hand. The kitchen… _downstairs_ . He was expecting Prompto to even be able to make it that far? “Of course, if you happen to change your mind…” he drawled, summoning a small knife into his hand. Prompto flinched hard when it was suddenly imbedded in the wall. “There are always _other_ options.”

Prompto said nothing, but held his breath and remained silent as Ardyn turned and walked away. He waited, only letting his breath out once the door was closed, and there was no sound of a lock turning. Ardyn was many horrible, terrible things… but at least he was, so far, true to his word when he was granted some freedoms. It wasn’t much, and he wasn’t sure how he was even going to _move_ yet but he would figure it out. First of all, he needed to make sure his baby was okay. The knife was a frightening threat, but also a useful tool and he wondered for a moment if Ardyn had left it here for the very reason he was going to use it for.

Unlikely.

But he could at least use it to cut the cord and that would make his life at least a little easier. He had spent the last few months searching through the Citadel library at every opportunity to find any help available, so he’d at least have some idea of what he was doing. The situation was terrible, and not at all ideal, but he’d find a way. He wasn’t even sure when he had actually finished the birth process… he was too numb to have even noticed.

 _Standing_ was his next task. He might as well have been asked to climb the damn volcano again with how much effort this was going to take. He tugged the blanket to drag a pillow closer and ever so gently laid his sleeping son down on it, so he’d at least be comfortable and safe. Next he needed to get onto his knees, at least. That was fine, he could do that. His legs were a little bit like a Flan, but he was able to force them to move. Hands pressed to the wall, he worked his way up on shaking knees until he found his footing, leaning heavily on the wall to hold himself up.

Walking. That would have to be next. Years ago his legs were probably his strongest feature; now years of being stuck here… he wasn’t quite so fit anymore, otherwise he probably could have done this. But he took each step one at a time; one foot in front of the other with the wall as his crutch to get to his bathroom. There was one towel, but it’d be enough so he tossed it over his shoulder and went for the sink. There was a cloth there that he could at least use to wipe himself down briefly and not feel quite so disgusting but now he had another job to do.

He needed to find something to tie around the cord. He opened up the cupboard over the sink to see what he had and he could have cried when he saw some bandages. That was better than nothing at least; Ardyn let him have that just to deal with his own wounds when the alpha was fed up with him. He grabbed it from the cupboard and wet the cloth again so he could go back to his baby. He used the wall to ease himself down slowly on the other side of the mattress that wasn’t ruined, setting down his spoils to scoop his son into his arms again. The movement made him whimper in his sleep, but a gentle hush was enough to help him settle again. He tore open the pack of bandage with his teeth, and tied it firmly around the cord. The rest would fall away on its own, so long as he could take good care of him.

He took his time to clean his son and wrap him up in the towel so he’d at least stay warm and cosy. Now, he needed to get to the kitchen. With his son. Somehow. All he wanted to do was lay down and sleep but time was not on his side at all. He could give his son whatever he was able to make himself but it wouldn’t be enough and he was sure to cry after that. He really, really didn’t want to hear him cry again. Prompto was _going_ to get to that kitchen. He had endured for this long, he wasn’t going to leave his baby to starve now.

He folded and tied the blanket to make some sort of sling to free up his hands a bit more, and employed the same method of getting up and walking along the wall as last time. He didn’t want to admit how long it had taken him to figure out how to get his damn pants on. The door was, as he’d hoped, unlocked and he was free to get out of his room and head for the stairs. Perhaps a bad idea… but he didn’t trust those elevators after all this time of misuse. Maybe on the way back he’d risk it.

He wasn’t even half way down the stairs when his son woke up, screaming. The sudden sound almost made Prompto lose his balance, one hand pressed to the wall and the other quickly cradling the bundle against his chest. “I know, I know I’m sorry,” he whined. One step at a time. Two flights of stairs and a long corridor was all he had to tackle and he was already down the first flight. The longer he walked, the more feeling he got in his legs and the more he felt pain settling in. Getting back up was going to be _hell_ if he tried those stairs.

By the time he made it to the kitchen’s door, Prompto could have cried with his son. He hurt just about everywhere, but he had _made it_ . One step at a time. He didn’t know how long it had taken, but it was apparently long enough for Ardyn to have left, found what he needed and even return with it; leaving it tauntingly in the middle of the kitchen counter with bottles and a small bundle of clothes. He didn’t even care, it was _there_ and that was all he needed.

He didn’t bother with anything else, shuffling across the room to grab the tin of formula powder to hastily read the instructions, one arm tucked under his baby to rock him gently. Hot water, that was all he needed! The tin was sealed and new, despite being dusty and turning it over confirmed that it was still in date and good… Ardyn wasn’t going to make him starve his son!

“Certainly took your time, didn’t you?”

Prompto dropped the tin on the counter, immediately securing his son with both hands to turn around. Ardyn was leaning against the wall right beside the door… and Prompto had been so focussed on getting to the formula that he hadn’t even noticed him there.

“You act like you’ve seen a ghost, darling. After all the effort I went through for you, not even a mere ‘thank you’? I was getting very bored waiting. I decided to play a little game,” he said, pushing away from the wall to stand in front of Prompto instead, whose every instinct _screamed_ to protect his whimpering child, probably frightened by the atmosphere, but he knew realistically that he was defenceless. “You see, I’d found so much stuff for you. You’ve been such a good boy lately I figured you deserved a little reward… but the longer you took, the more I decided to keep,” he explained, taking hold of Prompto’s chin.

Prompto knew he was breathing hard; half from exertion and half in fear, but Ardyn just turned his head to make him look across to the other side of the room. Ardyn wasn’t lying. There were more clothes and food across the room; food for _him_ . Cans of soups and beans, bags of pasta and rice and protein bars. He could feel himself tremble as it started to sink in… Ardyn wasn’t going to let him have any of that. If he hadn’t given _birth_ just a few hours ago, he’s sure his stomach would have been growling. How long had it been now? Three days? Four?

Ardyn let go of his chin and stepped away, letting Prompto watch everything sink into the floor to be swallowed up by scourge. “Maybe next time, you won’t take my generosity for granted.” He turned away, walking out the door and leaving Prompto there by himself. He still trembled, scared and disappointed in himself… if he had moved faster, wasted less time… his son was starting to cry again, jolting him back into action. His needs didn’t matter, he wasn’t going to let his son wait any longer.

After making the formula, he ended up sat on the ground, leaning back against the cupboards while his son fed. He’d managed to get him into a diaper and one of the small onesies Ardyn had left behind, and now this was all he could do; sit and wait. He was so desperately exhausted… he wasn’t sure he could even get up again. Maybe he’d just have to sleep here instead… it wouldn’t be the most uncomfortable night he’d ever had anyway.

Baby fed, burped and asleep, Prompto used the towel and other clothing items to make an impromptu nest of sorts to lay him in. “I’m sorry… I’m sorry, I need rest first… then we’ll go to bed,” he said softly, laying down on the hard floor and doing his best to curl his body around his precious little bundle.

When Prompto next came to awareness, it was because his son was crying again. Screaming with all the energy that a desperately upset newborn could manage. Prompto stretched out his arm to find the little nest… only to feel nothing but _carpet_ . He opened his eyes immediately, pushing himself to sit up as quickly as he could. How the _hell_ had he gotten back to his room? He was laying on his mattress… no, a new one.

And his baby was _screaming_. In Ardyn’s arms.

“No!” he gasped immediately, grabbing at the wall to get himself to his feet. Ardyn just turned around to look at him, and sure enough his son was laid across one of Ardyn’s arms. “Don’t, please, _please_ leave him alone!” he begged. He absolutely didn’t want Ardyn handling _his_ baby, what if he hurt him?!

“Such an _omega_. Desperate to preserve your offspring. All that effort to birth him and fight your way downstairs… it’d be almost admirable if it wasn’t so pointless,” Ardyn said with a lazy shrug.

“Please don’t hurt him, I’m _begging_ you, please, don’t hurt him!”

“Oh I do _love_ to hear you beg… it’s been some years, hasn’t it? Luckily for you my darling _mate_ , I’m in a good mood,” Ardyn chuckled, laying his son in a cot that… hadn’t been there last time Prompto was in this room. “But if I were you, I would keep a close eye on him. You wouldn’t want him to go missing now, would you? After all, I’m the only one who’d give you a new one,” Ardyn chuckled; that same, menacing chuckle he always seemed to use as he walked away. The door closed, and the lock turned, and Prompto was once more left alone with his son.


	3. Cordelle

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> omg guys, I didn't expect this to get so much attention! :O Thanks for all the support! 
> 
>  
> 
> **Chapter warnings: Implied rape, mpreg, non-graphic childbirth, starvation, temporary character death, blood, breastfeeding.**

“Reuben, baby, you need to slow down, mama can’t keep up,” Prompto sighed, pressing a hand into the back of his hips. He hadn’t wanted to cut Reuben’s play time short today but he needed to get them both back upstairs and into his room before his contractions got any worse…

Having Reuben around had somewhat kept Ardyn away from him; he seemed to want to keep as far away from the four year old as he possibly could, but of course having him around hadn’t been enough to keep Ardyn away entirely. The alpha had no problem with ordering his shy boy to stay in another room, and Ardyn made Reuben so nervous that he simply did as he was told.

Ardyn had, thankfully, never raised a hand to Prompto’s son and rarely deprived Reuben of food, or some time to run around in the library. Reuben did love the library, where mama would read to him and show him pretty pictures of blue skies and big funny looking birds. That’s where they had been, because although his contractions had woken him up when they’d started in what would be their night, he had found it too hard to say no when he’d asked to go.

But now the contractions were getting more painful, and coming faster than he was comfortable with and he’d had to finally tell him that they needed to go. But now he was starting to think that decision had been a bad idea… at least in the library there had been comfortable sofas and bean bags… now he wasn’t even sure he would make it to the first flight of stairs.

While Ardyn had no interest in tormenting Reuben, Prompto was never so lucky. Ardyn made sure he had enough to _survive_ and nothing more. Falling pregnant again had given him a little more food and rest allowance, but it had been a _hard_ pregnancy all the way along. Full of pain, nausea, bone-deep exhaustion and dizziness because Prompto simply did not have the body mass to carry safely. They hadn’t grown an awful lot; not as much as Reuben had where he was top heavy and hardly saw his feet. This baby was coming early too… even earlier than Reuben and Prompto lacked the strength to barely get down the corridor.

“C’mon mama, you said go,” Reuben said, coming back to his side to take his hand. His son was the _cutest_ little darling… nothing like the alpha that caused him. Violet-blue eyes and dark hair that Prompto couldn’t quite explain… definitely not blonde, and no hint of red either. Sometimes, Prompto could almost imagine that he came from a better alpha.

“I’m coming… mama is very tired Reuben, baby is making me so tired,” he explained carefully. He couldn’t take the stairs, he’d never make it. But he didn’t know where else he could go. He needed to get himself settled on _something_ that wasn’t disgusting and was vaguely comfortable at least. “Reuben, can… can you look in these rooms for a sofa, baby?” he asked. Reuben nodded, letting go of his hand to run off down the corridor.

“Here mama!” he called soon enough, and Prompto made his way to follow. It looked like an old office of some kind, with a desk and chair, but also a sofa in one corner. He caught a glimpse of the metal sign on the door. ‘C. Leonis - Crownsguard Marshall’. Yeah, of course they’d find _this_ room. He recognized it now; last time he’d been here was to pick up his uniform… but now the room was trashed; thrown upside down by Imperial soldiers no doubt.

He grasped the door frame tightly with both hands, whimpering when another contraction hit him hard. This was _bad_ , this baby wasn’t going to stay put much longer and he wasn’t at all sure he could even do this. When it passed, he took the few steps to get to the sofa and sit himself down. “Reuben, you need to sit behind that desk for a while.”

“Why?” he asked, with all the innocence of a four year old, looking up at his mama like he wanted to get on his lap.

“It’s… the baby will be here soon. You gotta sit behind the desk until then, you’re too little to watch,” he tried to explain. Reuben at least seemed to just accept that mama was right; because mama was always right. So he went around behind the desk, and sat himself down to look at some old photo of three strange men that was on the floor.

Reuben didn’t recognize those men, but they looked happy. Actually, he might have seen one of them in one of those big paintings littered around the Citadel. There was a bright blue sky in the photo… but Reuben had never seen a blue sky, only in the pictures in the books mama read to him. But the sky he had seen was just black; always black. He wished he could see a pretty blue sky too.

He sat patiently, having nothing to do but look at the picture and listen to mama’s whines and sobbing… it was never nice when mama was sad, but Reuben was pretty used to seeing him sad. The scary man that lived here was always making his mama sad whenever he was around.

But then mama was silent, and moments later there was crying, but it didn’t sound like mama crying at all. Reuben had heard mama cry before, but this was completely different. Reuben shuffled to stand up, slowly peeking around the desk to have a look. It was kinda dark in here so he couldn’t see very well but mama was still laying on the sofa. He walked around the desk, walking across the room quietly to tap his mama on the arm.

“Mama?” he called, tapping his arm again. But apparently, mama had decided to take a nap. Reuben wasn’t sure how he could sleep through such loud crying, but with a few seconds of investigation he realized that it was the baby making all that noise. He tried tapping him again but his mama wasn’t waking up. Reuben didn’t know what to do; he didn’t know how to wake up mama or stop the baby from crying so much… there was a really horrible smell in here that he wasn’t at all enjoying either.

Reuben stepped back from the sofa. Mama always told him not to wander off without him… but someone else needed to come to help so he really had no choice. He tried tapping him just once more, before deciding that he’d have to go and find the scary man…

The scary man, Ardyn, was usually in the big tall room, with the big, tall, pretty chair in it. Lots of stairs, and a big hole in the ceiling. Some funny looking rock was always hanging above the chair. It was a really weird room and Reuben didn’t really like to go near it. Something about that big rock made him feel really uneasy… sometimes he was sure he could hear voices coming from it. But that was where he had to go to get some help for his mama.

He could hear the whispers when he pushed the heavy door; it groaned on old hinges as it moved so that he could peek his head inside; sure enough, there was Ardyn in the big chair. He was leaning against one arm, his hand holding his head up while he apparently took a nap too. He wasn’t sure if he should wake him, but while he was considering the option, Ardyn lifted his head.

The last thing Ardyn expected to find, was Prompto’s little pet wandering around. _Alone_ no less and cowering behind the door. He almost looked like a lost little puppy.

“And what is a tiny little thing like you doing wandering the halls all by yourself? Didn’t your mother ever teach you not to wander off alone?” he asked, rising from the throne and descending the stairs. The boy looked utterly terrified, little legs shaking as he approached. And yet, he didn’t run away.

“Mama’s sleeping…” he said quietly.

“And so you wandered off?”

“Mama won’t wake up, and… a-and baby’s crying,” Reuben said, little fingers clutching the door. Ardyn looked down at him, feeling along the thin thread of bond he shared with the omega. Something was wrong. He could barely feel Prompto’s presence at all. That boy had better not be dying. Not this close to the fulfillment of all his damn planning. He heaved a sigh, reaching down to grab Reuben by the back of his shirt to pick him up and carry him like that, despite the little squeak of surprise he gave. Finding Prompto wouldn’t be hard; he could just follow their bond. He always knew where he was.

He stopped outside the door to put Reuben back on his feet. “Stay there,” he ordered.

“But-”

“I _said_ , stay there,” Ardyn said again. Reuben pressed himself against the wall by the door with a small whimper, but nodded his head. Good. Ardyn didn’t want to deal with him too. He stepped into the room and flicked on the light.

Even Ardyn took a step back at the scene. There was _so much blood_ all over the sofa that it was a damn miracle Prompto was even alive at all right now; and in the middle of it all, a sobbing newborn. He stepped closer, reaching down to feel for a pulse at Prompto’s neck; it was there, barely. It wouldn’t be there for long though, but Ardyn was prepared. He shrugged off his coat and banished it to his armiger so he could roll up his sleeves. It had been a very long time since he’d had to play the role of a medic.

He summoned a knife and cut through the cord in one swift and easy slice. He found Prompto’s discarded pants and cut some material off of them to tie around the remaining cord, and then all he could do was wait with his fingers pressed to Prompto’s neck. There was no way around it now, a potion or elixir would not be enough at this stage of blood loss, but he couldn’t afford to lose the blonde now. It had taken _centuries_ of boiling in his frustration, and decades of planning to get to this point; though bonding the omega had not been a part of those plans. More of a spur of the moment desire.

He waited until the beat under his fingers had stopped, and gave it a few more minutes to be sure. He was pale, chest unmoving and lips already turning blue when he summoned the phoenix down into his hand. Honestly, he’d expected something to give in the boy years before now, so he’d always kept it ready to use. He pressed the feather to Prompto’s chest and stepped back as the fire rolled over his body. Not even five seconds later, Prompto was gasping air back into his lungs, even though his consciousness didn’t return. Well, that was one problem solved.

The next issue was this child, still sobbing and whimpering miserably on the sofa and probably wanting some sort of food. He grimaced at the thought of actually having to interact with it, but the noise was getting more annoying by the second. Prompto wasn’t even waking up yet, his body probably still figuring out how to function so he certainly wasn’t going to be making this child quiet… he heaved a sigh, sliding his hands under the tiny child to lift it off of the sofa. It was so small, it fit easily in his large palms. This was far too much physical interaction for him. He shifted the child to hold it on one arm so that he could free up a hand to push up Prompto’s shirt, instead laying the child on his chest.

Prompto wouldn’t have much to give a child, if he even had anything at all, but a few nudges in the right direction had the child latching for food and Ardyn could step back away from them as Prompto groaned, hopefully starting to rouse so he could _leave_.

Prompto was vaguely aware of the weight on his chest; an unfamiliar pressure with a soft but metallic scent that made his instincts stir. It took a moment for his limbs to remember how to work, but he brought his hands up to lay over the mass on his chest. It took a few moments more to convince his eyes to open. That was his _baby_ , trying to feed from him… but how had they even got there…

“You do have a terrible habit of taking long naps after birth, don’t you?” Prompto turned his head to look up at Ardyn, his hands trying to shield his newborn as best as he could. But Ardyn just reached over him, grabbing him by his chin. “I have spent _centuries_ putting this into order. Don’t you waste my damn time now or I’ll leave your _corpse_ above the door for your dear Noct to find, do you understand me?” he growled, his tone firm and carrying a dangerous warning. “Don’t think I’ll waste any more revives on you. And keep your _pets_ out of my way.”

Prompto’s heart sank down into his stomach. Where was _Reuben_? He couldn’t turn his head, but he could see the desk out of the corner of his eye and Reuben was _not_ there, he was certain. His boy was timid, but endlessly curious and there was no way he wouldn’t be peering out from around that desk right now.

“Where’s my son…? Where is he, Ardyn?” he asked, trying desperately to hold his fear in.

“Do not let them roam again. Next time, you won’t find them again,” Ardyn warned, letting go of Prompto’s chin and turning his back on him.

“Where is Reuben?!” Prompto shouted more urgently. Ardyn just opened the door to step out, and mere seconds later Prompto was flooded with relief to see his son rush in, safe and unharmed.

“Mama! You wake!” he said eagerly, little hands gripping at Prompto’s arm. He let out the breath he had been holding, removing a hand from his second child to wrap his arm around his son and keep him close.

“I’m awake, baby. I’m awake,” he assured.

“Mama, that baby?” he asked, wide violet eyes watching the infant laid on his chest. Prompto adjusted his hold on his baby, and with strength that could only have come with a magical revival, he was able to sit up and cradle them in his arms so that Reuben could climb up onto the sofa with him; the clean part of the sofa at least. Apparently content with whatever they’d been able to get from Prompto, his baby was settling easily and he could get a good look at them for the first time. Dark hair, just like Reuben, but so small it was easy to rest them against just one arm.

“Yeah, this is baby. Your little sister, Reuben…”

“Sis’er? Hmm… okay. What name?” he asked next, looking up to his mama. Prompto considered it, looking around the trashed room.

“Cordelle… we’ll call her Cordelle.”


	4. 10 Years

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Things are coming to a close guys. Is there any hope left for Prompto and his kids?

“Hey,”

“‘Hey’? That’s all you’ve got to say for yourself, after all this time?”

“Well, you certainly kept us waiting,”

“Not like I _wanted_ to,” Noctis chuckled, looking to his oldest friends fondly. “Better late than never, right?”

“Same old Noct. Uncrowned King of naps,” Gladio said, shaking his head though the smile betrayed him. Even Ignis chuckled.

Ten years hadn’t done a lot to change the secondary Alpha and the Beta of their group. Noctis was sure they were taller than he remembered, but perhaps he had just stopped noticing that so many years ago. But they were alive, apparently healthy, and perhaps just a bit more rugged than they used to be… but just standing here with them almost felt like coming home. Almost.

“Prompto…?” he asked, hesitantly. The image of Ardyn walking away with him was still burned deep in his mind; a sight that would never, ever go away. Gladio didn’t even look at him, it was Ignis who lightly shook his head.

“We’ve never been able to get him back. Try as we might, Ardyn has erected The Wall around the Citadel and no one has been able to get inside of it for the last ten years,” Ignis explained. It was like ice to Noctis’ heart.

“Is he even there? Has anyone seen _anything_?” he asked.

“Some Crownsguard saw Ardyn a few times. Apparently looting old stores for supplies… given that the immortal _bastard_ has no real need for food, we can only assume it’s because of Prompto,” Gladio said, his tone full of bitterness. “We should go inside.”

Noctis followed them into Takka’s old diner, feeling numb right down to the pit of his stomach. Ten years, and they had never been able to rescue Prompto. No real confirmation if he was even alive. What kind of _horrors_ would he have been subjected to in that time? They sat down on crates full of supplies; food and weapons, if the writing on them was anything to go by.

“Noct, look at me,” Ignis said, and Noctis did lift his head to look at him. “We tried. Honest to the _Gods_ we tried… The Wall is completely impenetrable, and guarded by a behemoth of a dog. We’ve tried going around it, going over it, even going under it. There was nothing we could do,” he explained, and Noctis could hear the pain in his voice.

“...How’d you know I wasn’t looking at you…?” Noctis asked.

“Oh Noct… we didn’t spend ten years bargaining with old Kings and stubborn Gods, to get nothing in return,” Ignis said, looking at him fondly. “Admittedly, it is limited.”

“How much can you see?”

“Enough to tell you that you never did fix the button on your jacket. Not enough to see the detail on the button.”

“But that’s better… I’m glad… I just…”

“Yeah. We’re worried about him too,” Gladio said, arms folded across his chest defensively. “We have no idea what we’ll find, once we make a way into the Citadel. Now that you’re here my guess is that Ardyn will be letting us in and in that case…”

“We must prepare ourselves for the worst…” Ignis finished. “For now all we can do is wait. Cor is on his way, as is Nea. When they arrive we can figure out our plan.”

‘The worst’, as it seems, didn’t come in the form of Prompto’s lifeless body, hanging in the throne room alongside Luna, Regis, Nyx and Niflheim’s former emperor. It came in the form of a huddled figure on the floor, chained by his neck to the throne and huddling two small, dark haired children close to his chest to shield their eyes from the illusionary horrors hanging over their heads. It came reflected in wide, violet blue eyes, looking at them in shock as if they were mere ghosts.

Noctis heard Ignis make a pained noise in the back of his throat. Gladio’s hands trembled, and he was sure he could hear Cor grinding his teeth. When they had stormed the Citadel gate, fighting beasts, gods and past Kings to get here, never had this been the sight they thought they’d be greeted with.

“And so at last, the King has come to reclaim his throne,” Ardyn drawled, a hand resting on top of Prompto’s head.

“Let them _go_ , Ardyn,” Noctis growled, taking a step forward.

“Let them go? Now why would I do that? They belong to me, after all.” Prompto flinched when Ardyn’s fingers began to pet through his hair. “ _You_ gave them to me. Or did you forget during your long nap?”

“Trust me, I forgot _nothing_. This is between you and me, Ardyn. Leave them out of it.”

“A clash of Kings then,” Ardyn said, ruffling Prompto’s hair and rising to his feet. “If that’s what you want, that’s what you’ll get.” Noctis didn’t have time to react when Ardyn’s magic knocked all three of his companions unconscious, and when he looked back to the throne Ardyn was gone.

Noctis rushed up the steps, stopping at the top to drop to his knees in front of Prompto. The poor omega was so small, huddled like he was. The children in his arms were shaking, clinging to Prompto for dear life and the smallest was definitely sniffling.

“Prom-” Noctis was cut off by the hand that grabbed him by the back of his collar, hauling him to his feet and tossing him to the side, further towards the gaping hole in the wall. He had to pull himself to his feet quickly.

“Now, now, I thought we said this was between us?” Ardyn said, stalking forward which forced Noctis to take a few steps back, stopping when he ran out of space to go. He glanced behind Ardyn to look at Prompto, but the omega was more focused on his children; it was enough for Ardyn to take one last step forward, shoving a boot against his chest to knock him out of the building.

 

~*~*~*~*~*~

 

When Ignis started to wake up, the first sound he registered was crying. It was quiet, but full of misery and followed by gentle hushing. He groaned, forcing himself up onto his hands and knees and looking across to Cor and Gladio; it seemed like they were still rousing too. Cor was rolling onto his side, while Gladio was up on his knees already and lifting his head to look around.

“Damn it, _Prompto,_ ” Gladio said, pushing himself up to his feet to rush up the stairs. Ignis turned his head to watch him go, still trying to grab his bearings again. The moment Gladio made it to the top, he sank to his knees and reached out towards Prompto. “Let’s get that thing off you-”

“No!” Prompto immediately pushed himself back with scrambling legs, clutching his smallest child close while the other now hid behind him. Gladio’s hands hovered uselessly in the air.

“Prom-”

“Let him be, Gladio,” Ignis called, pushing himself to his feet now to ascend the stairs, moving slower and more cautiously. Gladio’s scent had heightened in response to the distress of the omega, and the child in his arms… perhaps the scent of an alpha was the last thing Prompto needed right now. Ignis knelt down in front of him slowly while Gladio shuffled further back without argument. Prompto looked between them, one after the other and a few times more, and Ignis could only guess that he was just being cautious.

“Prompto… we mean you no harm… do you believe me?” he spoke softly, watching the fragile blonde look at him again. Prompto looked so much worse up close. It wasn’t easy to tell how bad it was when he was huddled up so tightly, but it looked like he had lost an awful lot of weight. His arms were nothing more than sticks at his point, his cheeks as hollow as the look in his eyes and the circles under them would take years to fix. His hair fell down to brush against his shoulders. Ignis just wanted to bundle him up and get him out of here.

“You _left_ me,” Prompto said, so softly that Ignis would have missed it if he hadn’t been paying attention.

“Never. Not for a moment did it even cross our minds. We rushed to Niflheim as quickly as the train would take us… we raced across the city and even destroyed the Regalia trying to get to you… Prompto, _gods_ , we spent hours trying to find you, only to be fooled by Ardyn in the end,” Ignis explained, his shoulders sinking. “Noctis was trapped by the crystal and by the time Gladio and I made it… he had already made his claim on you. We looked for you for almost a year until we discovered that Ardyn had erected the Wall around the Citadel. We spent the next nine years trying to find a way inside. The _last_ thing we ever wanted, was for you to be trapped here.”

Prompto was trembling, his eyes full of tears that he didn’t even attempt to stop… Ignis wasn’t sure if Prompto believed him or not, but his attention quickly returned to the child in his arms when they gave another horribly distressed whimper, a hand curling up in Prompto’s shirt. Meanwhile the other child was starting to slowly peek around from behind Prompto’s shoulder. Ignis followed his line of sight; Gladio had kept his distance, but now Cor had approached too. The alpha had stayed back so as not to spook Prompto, but crouched down just to the side of them all.

“Hey. We’re friends of your mama. What’s your name?” He asked in a tone softer than Ignis could usually associate with the hardened Marshall. The boy shifted his feet, clutching at Prompto’s sleeve.

“Reuben.”

“Reuben? That sounds like a brave boy’s name.”

“I’m brave! Sometimes…”

“Yeah I bet you are. My name is Cor. We want to take you three away from this place, get you somewhere safe where… that man isn’t going to come near you anymore,” Cor explained. Prompto was half watching him, but mostly rocking his other child to bring them some comfort.

“He’s scary…” Reuben whispered. “He’s mean to mama, and he yells at us too. I don’t like this place.”

“I don’t like it either. We’re going to take you somewhere safe. Prompto… we _are_ going to get you to safety,” Cor insisted.

“He won’t let me go.”

“He won’t have a choice. This ends here today, Prom,” Ignis said softly, finally reaching out to lay a gentle hand on Prompto’s knee. The omega didn’t pull away. “The Gods have already foretold it. You can hear what’s happening out there,” he said, nudging a head towards the hole in the building. There was the clang of weapons, rumbling explosions that thankfully weren’t so loud up here. “Noctis is out there, putting an end to this. The hunters, Glaives and Crownsguards… they’re all out there fighting Ardyn and his demons. Our only orders, are to get you to safety. Aranea’s ship is outside waiting for us.” He explained.

“...And my children…?”

“Of _course_. No one is being left behind. The three of us will lay our lives down before we let that happen,” Ignis said, gently squeezing Prompto’s knee.

“I won’t make it far, Iggy,” Prompto said, tears spilling over again. The nickname was like a punch right in his stomach.

“I’ll carry you. Cor will carry your children, Gladio will protect us.”

“Can we really go mama? You and me and Cordelle?” Reuben asked, tugging his sleeve. There was a hope shining in his eyes; bright and blue and _so much_ like Prompto’s that it was almost like seeing a dark haired reflection. It was Gladio who finally spoke up next.

“Let us help you, Prompto. We owe you that,” he said, coming a little closer. It was enough to finally break through, Prompto giving the smallest of nods. Cor knelt down at his side now, laying a hand on Reuben’s back.

“Okay… okay… _please_ save my children, I can’t do this again,” Prompto begged, his shoulders slumping in defeat. “Let Cor carry you, Reuben.”

Reuben didn’t protest at all when Cor slid an arm under his thighs to settle the kid on his hip, and Prompto gently shifted his daughter in his arms until Cor could take her too.

Ignis felt his heart sink deep into the pit of his stomach, and a quick glance at the others confirmed that they’d noticed it too… it wasn’t just Reuben and Cordelle, Prompto was pregnant again now too. With how small he had become, it was impossible not to notice the swell of his stomach now that he wasn’t holding Cordelle.

“Let’s get that damned thing off your neck,” Ignis said softly, summoning a small black box from the armiger. The chain was secured only with a basic padlock and while a good hit with a sword would break it in a second, they couldn’t take the risk that Prompto’s neck would cope. But ten years of pillaging and breaking into places had given Ignis a good skill in lock-picking.

He had the lock open in seconds and gently unwound the chain from Prompto’s neck; he was already coming up in dark bruises and Ignis wanted to curse Ardyn’s very existence.

“Ignis, this one’s sick,” Cor said, nodding his head down to Cordelle who was definitely sniffling, though her cries were silent. Her head rested against Cor’s shoulder, and Reuben had a hand on her back.

“She’s always sick… I can’t do anything to help her…” Prompto muttered miserably. Ignis wrapped an arm around his shoulders to finally, _finally_ pull him close for some comfort.

“Aranea will have supplies on the ship. Prompto, you’ve done _so_ well for so long. Let us do the rest,” he said softly, not protesting in the least when Prompto held onto his shirt and turned his face into Ignis’ shoulder. He got his arm under Prompto’s knees and lifted him up far too easily. “Gladio… lead the way.”

The Citadel was blissfully empty of demons. The presence of the crystal in the building kept them away, allowing the three men to carry Prompto and his children with ease. It wasn’t until they got outside into the rear gardens where Aranea’s ship was that they began to appear. Gladio pressed on ahead to take them out while Ignis and Cor held back. The hangar door began to open, Biggs and Wedge taking position to open fire on the goblins and imps until at last they were all gone.

Cor went first with the children, and Ignis quickly followed up onto the ship while Gladio waited on the ground.

“You really know how to keep a girl waiting,” Aranea said, coming down from the cabin. Her usual playful smile disappeared the moment she saw Ignis carrying Prompto in his arms. Ignis knew that Aranea was, in fact, the last person to see Prompto alive, well and _free_ in Gralea. She’d expressed an awful lot of remorse over the years.

“Never my intention, dear. But we ended up with more than one important cargo,” Ignis said, nodding his head in Cor’s direction. She glanced that way, but she first came in front of him and laid a hesitant hand on the top of Prompto’s head. He flinched, clinging to Ignis like he may well disappear if he dared to let go.

“Hey, shortcake,” she said gently, which made Prompto turn his head out of Ignis’ shoulder.

“Aranea…?”

“The one and only. Here to get you out of this hell hole,” she said, taking a step back. “You should take him to my room, he can lay down there.”

“Splendid idea,” Ignis agreed. Prompto’s eyes traveled over Aranea briefly; she’d grown her hair out, now wearing it up in one long ponytail that reached the small of her back. But no doubt he was actually looking at _her_ rather pregnant belly too.

“Take the kids then. Gladio and I need to go,” Cor said, walking over to her. He first set Reuben down on his feet, and he took to holding onto Cor’s pants. “She’s sick. Feverish from what I can tell,” he explained as he transferred Cordelle into Aranea’s waiting arms.

“I’ll take care of her,” Aranea said with a nod.

“This is Reuben,” Cor said, putting his hand on top of the kid’s head. “He’s been making sure his sister feels safe.”

“Well, we’re going to take her and your mother to get some rest. So you want to come with us?” Aranea asked. Reuben nodded, letting go of Cor’s pants. Aranea shifted Cordelle into one arm to offer a hand to Reuben, which he took.

“Marshall… be safe,” Ignis said. Cor nodded, summoning his katana as he went to join Gladio outside. Ignis carefully adjusted his hold on Prompto, which made him hold tighter but he didn’t mind. He just followed Aranea deeper into the ship as the doors closed behind them. The ship had one single room, which was Aranea’s, and two bunk rooms which could sleep four people in each room. She led them to her room, and Ignis went straight to the bed to lay Prompto down… except Prompto didn’t let go of his jacket.

“Don’t go, _please_ don’t go-”

“I’m not going anywhere, Prompto, I promise you. I’m staying here with you,” Ignis said quickly, gently prying Prompto’s hand out of his jacket so that he could hold it between both of his hands. “I’m not going to leave you, but I do need you to let go of me so that I can help the three of you to get comfortable.” He gave Prompto’s hand a gentle squeeze before he let it go, tucking an arm around Prompto’s shoulders to hold him up while he adjusted the pillows to help him stay a little bit upright and comfortable.

Aranea laid Cordelle down beside Prompto and Reuben was quick to climb up too, sitting at her side to pat her on the head when she whined. When she reached for Prompto, he held onto her hand. Aranea grabbed a folded blanket from the bottom of the bed to unfold it and drape it over all of them. “I need to go get us in the air, before the fight gets too explosive,” she said.

“Alright. You know where we agreed to meet?” Ignis asked.

“Yeah, I got it. It’ll take a few hours so get yourselves comfortable. It might be a bit of a bumpy start,” she warned. When she went to leave, Ignis caught her by the wrist so she’d stop and look back at him.

“Let Biggs and Wedge take over, once we’re in the air… you should rest,” he said.

“Oh don’t coddle me,” she said with a roll of her eyes, and he let her wrist go so she could leave.

Ignis shook his head a little, but grabbed a nearby chair and set it by the bed, ready for later. “You should rest too, Prompto. I know it might not be easy to do so, but please do try.”

“Cordelle… she won’t settle if I don’t hold her.”

“Would you let me try? I won’t be moving from this room, I assure you. I only want to go and get a cold compress for her, to help her temperature,” Ignis said, his hand settling on Prompto’s shoulder. “In a few hours we’ll be able to find her real medicine, but if some physical contact will help, I’d be more than happy to help,” he assured. Prompto still looked uncomfortable, looking down at his fussing daughter. She was clinging to his hand as firmly as she could, one of his knuckles in her mouth. Reuben was snuggled close under the blanket, apparently not too phased by all this sudden change. “Give it some consideration. I’ll go get that compress, and some water,” he said, gently giving Prompto’s shoulder a squeeze. There was a bathroom connected to the room and he knew Aranea stored water in there for when she didn’t feel like going to get any.

When he came back with a bowl of water and a few bottles of water too, Prompto had moved Cordelle into his arms, and Reuben had cuddled up to his hip. The ship was starting to make noise as the engines fired up, shaking a little as it started to lift and it looked like Reuben was quite afraid, hands clenched tightly in the blanket and face buried in Prompto’s hip. Ignis set the bowl and bottles on the bedside table, trusting Aranea to get them into the air smoothly enough that they wouldn’t fall. He took the cloth out of the water bowl and squeezed it out, laying it on the table too.

“Prompto… may I?” he asked, indicating to Cordelle. Prompto was still hesitant, and by the Six he couldn’t possibly blame him for it after everything that he had to have been through. Three children by a terrifying alpha… the horrors that must have been. “Prompto… did you trust me, years ago?” he asked.

“Of course.”

“Then please… allow me a chance to prove that you can trust me now too,” Ignis said softly. Prompto looked up at him, and then back down to his daughter, before he nodded just a little. Ignis moved slowly to bundle her into his arms and Prompto didn’t stop him from doing it, so he sat down in the chair he had moved closer earlier. He helped her to lay across his lap with his arms supporting her and laid the cool cloth on her forehead, gently hushing her when she whined at all the moving around.

“You’re gunna stay?” Prompto asked, one hand now resting on his belly, and the other on Reuben’s back to rub there soothingly.

“Of course. You should rest, and I won’t leave this room for even a second. If I need to move I’ll be sure to wake you,” Ignis assured. He leaned back in the chair to get comfortable as Cordelle settled quietly, and although he’d thought Prompto would resist, he was asleep by the time they were fully in the air.


	5. Dawn

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Phew. You guys this has been a roller coaster. Thanks for joining me in this ride! One more to go after this, I hope you enjoy!

Prompto couldn’t remember the last time he had fallen into a deep sleep. Prompto always struggled to sleep, and when he did fall into a deep sleep it was usually plagued with nightmares; horrible visions of what Ardyn might do to his children, if he wasn’t there to watch over them. Nightmares that would wake him with a jolt and a desperation to check on them and be sure they were safe. But somehow, he had fallen into such a comfortable sleep, that he hadn’t even had any dreams. He was only aware that he had even been asleep when he opened his eyes to an unfamiliar ceiling.

That should have been frightening, but there was a strange sort of  _ calm _ within him. He picked up on the soft sound of a page turning, and turned his head to see Ignis sat in a chair by the bed with a book open on his lap… Ignis… reading…  _ Ignis _ . It hadn’t all been a dream. Had it? Ignis was  _ blind _ . But it had felt all so real… the weight of the chain around his neck… the familiar smell that was all  _ Noctis _ right in front of his very eyes. His children, scared and crying…

_ His children! _ He sat up probably quicker than he should have, startling the book right out of Ignis’ hands. “Where are they?!” he asked immediately, looking around the strange room to try and find them but they weren’t there! Ignis had stood up now, his hands hovering like he wanted to touch him, but he was hesitating.

“Prompto, it’s okay, it’s alright,” he said, keeping his tone calm. “See that door there? They’re just through there with Aranea. They woke up about half an hour ago, so she got them some breakfast,” he explained, pointing out the door across the room. It was just slightly open, to avoid the room being closed off completely. Now that Ignis had said that, he could faintly hear Reuben’s voice. They were here… they were safe.

Ignis gently laid a hand on his shoulder, and Prompto took the gentle encouragement to lay back down against the pillows. The bed was so soft and comfortable, he almost felt like he could go back to sleep again. But he still wasn’t entirely sure he was even awake. Something felt strange and different… almost too good to be true. “Is… is this even real…?” he asked, looking over to Ignis.

“Prom-”

“Please… if it’s not… Please, I can’t…” he muttered quietly. He couldn’t face a torment like that; having relief right in front of him only to wake up in the Citadel again.

Ignis pulled the chair he had been in closer to the bed, picking up the book he’d dropped and setting it on the bedside table as he sat down. For a moment he didn’t say anything, but then he held out a hand and in a bright sparkle of blue, he had summoned something from the armiger. Prompto’s eyes were drawn to it immediately. “Is that…?”

“Your camera,” Ignis confirmed, holding the device like it was a precious gem in his hands. “I’m afraid none of us really knew how to use it. Nor did we really want to… but for a long time, it was a crutch for us,” he explained, carefully turning it on. “It’s got a few new cracks in it, I’m afraid. I don’t even know how well it might work… but Gladio and I have treasured it as best as we could,” he said, setting it down on the bed beside Prompto’s hand. “When things got too much… when we started to lose hope, it was a relief to be able to see what it was we were still fighting for. To see the sun, and what things used to be like. To see you, and Noctis.”

Prompto gently picked it up, bringing up the old photos. They were all still there, every photo he had taken since they first left Insomnia. The landscapes, the battles, the friends they found along the way. It was hard to see them, through the tears blurring his eyes. He’d never thought he’d see it again, since he’d lost his access to the armiger all those years ago. This was  _ real _ . The weight of it in his hands was unmistakable.

“We managed to bring down Cordelle’s fever. She even managed to have a little breakfast, but she rather quickly went back to sleep on Aranea. Reuben has kept a very close eye on her,” Ignis explained, producing a handkerchief from his pocket and gently nudging it into Prompto’s hand, so that he could wipe up his tears. “They’d be very happy to see you awake… I’m afraid you managed to sleep for quite a few hours. Though you certainly looked like you needed it.”

“Where are we?” Prompto asked, placing the camera in his lap while he tried to clean up his face a little.

“Tenebrae. Fenestala Manor, the home of the Oracles. Ravus offered us all a place to stay here for a while.”

“Ravus…?”

“Yes. Gladio and I found him after… when we were escaping Zegnautus. He was severely wounded, but we managed to get him out and Aranea helped us all to escape here. As it happens, he had been protecting Regis’ sword for Noctis, and had almost lost his life for it. He’s been a great ally over the years.”

“I’ve missed  _ so much _ … I… I don’t know… it’s been so many years since I’ve seen the outside…” Prompto could feel the tears rising again. When  _ had _ he last left the Citadel? When had he last attempted an escape? He couldn’t even remember anymore. “Where is everyone?”

“They’re all here. Most of us, anyway. Some are still in Lucis… we felt that you would be more comfortable with less people around when you woke up and we didn’t want to overwhelm your kids with too many new faces while you were sleeping. So it’s just been Aranea and I since we got here last night. Though there are plenty of people here who will be most relieved to see you awake,” Ignis said, shuffling the chair a little closer since Prompto seemed to be responding well. “In your own time… we certainly don’t want to cause you or your little one any stress,” he added.

But  _ who _ was here? Who had even survived those long, dark years? What had become of the world? He didn’t even know. He wasn’t sure he wanted to know. What  _ did _ he know…? Gladio was alive, so were Cor and Noctis… Aranea too. He definitely remembered her being there. But  _ Noctis _ too… “Aranea was there… she was…” he paused, laying a hand on his own belly. The tips of Ignis’ ears were definitely turning red.

“Ah, yes.” he cleared his throat. “Aranea is expecting, yes. That um… That would be mine,” he said, adjusting his dark glasses.

“...Yours?” Prompto asked.

“...Yes. It’s a little complicated. We’ve ended up spending an awful lot of time together over the years. She’s still rather stubborn however…” he explained. Prompto just nodded slowly to that information.

“Noct… was Noct really there...? He was gone, right?” he asked next. “Ardyn, what happened to Ardyn?” he asked quickly, pushing himself to sit up a little more.

Ignis stood up and sat on the edge of the bed instead, taking Prompto’s hand between his own. “Ardyn is  _ gone _ , Prompto. He’s gone. He’s dead, and he is never,  _ never _ , coming back,” Ignis said with such  _ certainty _ .

Prompto  _ crumbled _ . He couldn’t even try to stop the flood of relief that made him cry and  _ sob _ as Ignis shuffled closer to wrap his arms around him and hold him close to his chest. Prompto clung to him tightly, hands in the back of Ignis’ shirt so tightly that it hurt his hands. But Ignis let him do it, rubbing a soothing hand across his back while he let it all out. “I know, Prompto… I know, I’m so sorry… you’ve been through so much. But I promise you, it’s over now,” he muttered softly, squeezing the small omega gently.

It took a few minutes for him to calm down enough to take a few deep breaths, the hand rubbing his back certainly did help though. “Noct… what happened to Noct…?” he asked quietly.

Ignis leaned back, picking up the discarded handkerchief to gently wipe Prompto’s face clean. “I’d best start from the beginning. It’s all a little complicated I’m afraid… you see, when we came for you, Ardyn had laid you out as a trap for Noctis. By the time Gladio and I arrived, Ardyn had you, and Noctis had been absorbed by the Crystal. That’s where he’s been for the last ten years,” he explained, tucking the handkerchief into his pocket again. “While there, he was taking in the power that he needed to erase Ardyn from existence, just as the prophecy foretold.”

Prompto rubbed at his eyes a little more, taking in some more deep breaths and gently rubbing a hand over his belly. “So… so he’s gone too, right…? Because of the prophecy…? There was some stuff in the library…” Ignis just gently shook his head.

“Gladio and I spent those ten years going back to all the tombs… We went back to the Disc, back to Duscae to Ramuh’s tokens, to all the dungeons and anywhere we could to try and find more information… a loophole or anything at all… we managed to speak to old Kings and gods alike and eventually, we managed to strike a few bargains. In exchange for Noctis to live,” he explained carefully. Prompto looked to him now.

“Is that… really? Is that why you…? Oh my god…”

“I was able to get back some of my vision, yes. The Kings saw mercy with me, for using their power even though it was not owed to me. A lot of us made sacrifices… but because of that, Noctis  _ is _ alive,” he confirmed, holding Prompto’s hand again. “He’s alive… we all are. And he would very much like to see you.”

“Iggy this is… it’s all so  _ much _ Iggy I just… I…”

“It’s alright, just take a few deep breaths. I know, it’s an awful lot of information to take in. I just want you to know that you are  _ safe _ . Your children are safe, we are alive, Noctis is alive… The  _ sun _ is back and all the demons are gone. The only thing you need to worry about now is your health, and your children. And we’ll all be here to help you from now on, alright?” Ignis said softly, gently rubbing his hand. Prompto nodded a little, squeezing Ignis’ hand.

Their heads both turned at the slight creak of the door, and Ignis smiled fondly at the little figure that appeared. “Mama…?”

“Reuben, oh baby,” Prompto said adoringly, patting the bed beside him. Reuben took the invitation without hesitation, running across the room and pulling himself up onto the bed to crawl to Prompto’s side. Prompto wrapped an arm around him to hold him close.

“Mama, we had toast,” he announced with a nod, which made Prompto smile fondly. “Cordelle had toast too, even though she licked all the stuff off it first. I don’t think she really wanted the toast.”

“Yeah, is that so? That’s good.”

“We saved you some toast!” Reuben said, looking up at Prompto.

“Oh, thank you… you didn’t need to save me anything baby.”

“There’s plenty more where that came from, I assure you,” Ignis said. The children had been rather protective of their food when it was given to them and Ignis suspected there was a good reason for that. “Some toast might be good for you, Prompto. Something light on the stomach,” he suggested. Prompto definitely needed something to eat and Ignis had already been planning how best to get some real nutrition into all of them. “Do you think you feel up to moving around a little? We have a wheelchair for you, so you won’t strain yourself,” he offered.

With Ignis’ help, Prompto was able to get out of bed and settle in the wheelchair instead. Reuben was quick and eager to sit in his lap where Prompto could easily cuddle him, and Ignis took them both into the small living space in the other room. It had two large, comfortable sofas and some armchairs, a large coffee table in the middle and a small kitchen space. Cordelle was apparently content to stay asleep in Aranea’s arms, cuddling Aranea’s belly in the same way she usually cuddled Prompto’s. It was a relief to see his one year old looking so comfortable.

It gave Prompto a chance to take his mind off of his own troubles, listening to Aranea talk about  _ her _ experiences with being pregnant… actually, it was nice to hear that she was experiencing much of the same things that Prompto had too. While his current pregnancy and his pregnancy with Cordelle had both been difficult, it was nice to hear that his experience with Reuben had at least been mostly normal.

“So are you guys like…  _ together _ ?” he asked. Ignis was stood in the kitchen area, making some more toast.

“Me and Speccy? I don’t think I’d call it ‘together’, more like getting along,” Aranea shrugged.

“That’s because you’ve refused both of my proposals,” Ignis chimed in.

“I’m too old for marriage. And who the hell wants to get married in all that demon infested darkness anyway?”

“No one ever said we had to get married  _ immediately _ Nea.”

“Well maybe I didn’t want to wait.”

“Sounds like you’re practically married already,” Prompto said, chuckling…  _ chuckling _ . He paused, gently squeezing his arms around a dozing Reuben. This was all so strange…

“See, that’s what everyone says,” Ignis pointed out, sighing.

“Oh shut up and at least let me get the damn pregnancy over with first,” Aranea muttered, running her fingers through Cordelle’s hair when she whined. “Can we talk about some other couple’s relationship issues?”

“So we  _ are _ a couple?”

“Shut up Ignis.”

“Well, what other couples are there?” Prompto asked, looking between them.

“Ah, well there is Ravus and Iris-”

“ _ Ravus _ and  _ Iris _ ?” Prompto asked, shocked. “But they’re both Alphas!”

“It was a rather interesting turn of events. You see, Ravus is somewhat confined here in Tenebrae because of his injuries. By the grace of the Gods, he was given some degree of power from the oracle blood in his veins and is able to do a small amount of healing. Iris was often the one who brought people here to him and it seems they forged quite a bond,” Ignis explained.

“I think Ravus just liked having a woman that could take care of herself. Little shield certainly has made a name for herself after all,” Aranea added. “Iris the Demon Slayer we call her. She’s a  _ beast _ .”

“I dare say she’s as famous as you are, darling.”

“Don’t sweet talk me.”

“Iris is… wow… Iris and Ravus…” Prompto muttered, still somewhat in shock at that news.

“You can imagine how  _ Gladio _ took the news. Though it certainly wasn’t the only odd couple to come out of the dark, so to speak,” Ignis said, chuckling at his own joke as he set down a plate of toast and some various toppings on the coffee table; the smell was already making Reuben rouse from his little doze. “Cor found himself a rather unlikely relationship with a certain Loqi Tummelt. Former brigadier general of Niflheim.”

“...Cor? Cor as in, the Immortal Cor. Cor Leonis?” Prompto asked.

“The one and only. We still aren’t sure how  _ that _ came about. But they seem rather happy at least,” Ignis said, sitting down beside Aranea. He opened his arms in an offer, and she easily transferred Cordelle to him. She grumbled, but Ignis just gently hushed her and settled her more comfortably.

“Wow… I just… I never expected any of this. I guess I don’t really know what I did expect, actually…” Prompto shrugged. It wasn’t like the world was going to wait for him to catch up, after all. But he’d never really put a lot of thought into what was happening outside the Citadel walls.

“Mama, ‘s that toast?” Reuben mumbled, rubbing his face into Prompto’s shoulder.

“Yes baby, you want some more?” he said, shifting his son to make him sit up more. When he nodded, he helped him to climb down so he could help himself.

“You should try to eat a little bit too, Prompto. It’d do you and your little one some good,” Ignis urged gently, and Aranea was nodding too. But Prompto was already shaking his head a little. How could he, when his children would need it more? Reuben was already eagerly tucking in, what if Cordelle was hungry too? “Prompto… I can still make more,” Ignis said softly, unable to bare watching the turmoil on Prompto’s face at the mere suggestion of  _ eating _ .

Reuben seemed to catch that there was something going on, looking between the adults. The plate was really full, and there was jars of… stuff, to put on top, Ignis had explained to him. Stuff to make it taste ‘less bland’, whatever that was supposed to mean. He took a slice, holding it up for Prompto. “Mama?”

“I’m sorry… I’m sorry I just…”

“You don’t need to explain yourself, Prompto. Just see what you can stomach, alright?” Ignis said with a small shake of his head. With Reuben looking up at him, so full of concern that his little five year old shouldn’t need to have, Prompto couldn’t say no. There was more, he needed to get that into his head. More. Enough for his children and for him. He nodded a little, and took the offered toast.

“Thanks, Reuben,” he said. His son’s smile was bright and beaming; proud of himself somehow as he turned back to the plate to eat some more too. Prompto nibbled at it cautiously; it was boring, but boring food had been their life for a long time and it thankfully didn’t seem to make his stomach turn, even though he wasn’t too sure when he had last eaten.

Aranea got up to go to the kitchen, and Ignis sat reclined on the sofa with Cordelle. A few slices of toast later there was a gentle, almost cautious knock at the door. Reuben was on his feet right away, hiding himself behind Prompto and Cordelle was quickly awake too, squirming unhappily even as Ignis adjusted his hold to sit her up.

“Give her here,” Prompto said, his tone almost  _ urgent _ , and Ignis didn’t hesitate to get up and hand her to him. He laid a hand on Prompto’s shoulder.

“It’s okay… trust me, alright?” he said carefully. There would need to be a warning put out about sudden, unexpected banging… Prompto’s shoulders were tense in anticipation. “It’s just friends, I promise.” He waited until Prompto nodded before he moved away to go and open the door. “Sorry… we weren’t quite prepared for a visit.”

“Is Prompto awake yet?”

_ Noctis _ . There was no mistaking that voice in a thousand years.

“His royal laziness didn’t want to wait for news, apparently,” Gladio chimed in.

“Ah, he is awake. We were just having some breakfast but…” Ignis looked over to him. “Are you up for some visitors…? It can always wait,” he assured quickly.

Prompto just… wasn’t too sure. It felt like his heart was ready to leap out of his chest. That was Noctis… Noctis who he had seen for no more than a few seconds; his blue eyes darker than they were ten years ago. His face full of concern and worry. Noctis, who Ardyn had used as a pawn to get Prompto on his own.

“Prompto, you don’t have to,” Ignis said again.

“No… no it’s… it’s okay… they can come in,” Prompto decided, gently rubbing Cordelle’s back. She had hidden her face away in his neck, clinging to his shirt. “It’s okay sweetie,” he said softly, nuzzling her head. “You can come out, Reuben, it’s alright.” Reuben crept out from behind him to watch as Ignis opened the door wider to let the two men inside.

Prompto’s heart jumped into his throat just at the sight of him, and for the first time Prompto could really  _ see _ Noctis. The alpha really had changed. Gone were the cargo pants and over-sized shirts, replaced with nice slacks and a more fitted button up shirt… attire more fit for a King. His hair was longer, but still somewhat in his face like he had always preferred… Noctis had always complained that he had a baby face and used his hair to hide. The scruff of a beard on his face was new too.

Prompto felt unworthy to even be here in front of him, in his torn up shorts and one of  _ Regis’ _ old shirts. Neither of which even remotely fit him. His hair was a mess; while Ardyn did allow him a small luxury of shaving, cutting his hair had been limited to Ardyn grabbing a handful and slicing it off when it got too annoying to him. It was brushing at his shoulders and horribly uneven… it had been at least four days since Ardyn last shaved him too so he was sure he just looked… a mess.

But Noctis just crossed the space between them, getting on his  _ knees _ in front of Prompto and laying a gentle hand on his leg. “Oh Prompto… you have no idea how relieved I am to see you,” he said softly.

That was all it took to have Prompto in tears again. They flooded out almost immediately and there was absolutely nothing he could do to stop them. Noctis didn’t seem to care, gently squeezing his knee and reaching up to use his  _ sleeve _ to wipe at his tears. His goddamn sleeve, probably worth more than anything in this room.

“I’m sorry Prompto. I’m  _ so _ sorry… all I wanted was to save you. Instead I left you waiting for so long…”

“It wasn’t you… it was never you, it was  _ him _ … It was always him right from the start,” Prompto said with a shake of his head. “I’m sorry, I’ve cried so much today…”

“You’ve every right to. You’ve been through a lot,” Noctis said, his hand returning to Prompto’s knee. “But things are going to be better now. I’ll spend the rest of my life making sure of that.”

“You’ve done more than enough just… just making sure he’s gone.”

“Heh… I can’t take all the credit there. Iggy and Gladio are the ones who did all the negotiations and stuff. You know I was never any good at being all political,” he said with a small smile. “A lot of people had to make sacrifices for me. Without them I don’t know if I would have been strong enough. I don’t even know if I can even make it up to everyone.”

“What… what kind of sacrifices…?” Prompto asked cautiously. Everyone kept on talking about  _ sacrifices _ but what was that supposed to mean?

“Ah… well… for one thing, the Ring is gone,” Noctis said, holding up his hand to show that it was, in fact, gone. There was a bright scar around his finger where it had been. “Which also means the Crystal’s power is gone. And all my family’s weapons are gone too.”

“Wh- no… your weapons? Why?”

“The souls of my ancestors were in the ring. No ring, no souls, no weapons. But I mean, I still have my Engine Blade, and all the weapons we picked up over our journey. I can still use the armiger as storage. Just… y’know, lost the good stuff.”

“It wasn’t just Noct,” Gladio said with a heavy shrug. “Me, Iris, Ravus and Noctis all had to surrender our ability to have any kids.”

“ _ What _ ?”

“Yeah. The Oracles, Kings and Shields all stop with us,” Gladio said, waving a dismissive hand. “Not that it mattered too much. Iris and Ravus couldn’t have kids as two Alphas anyway. Just means that we can’t have kids of our own blood.”

“That’s… not entirely true…” Prompto muttered. He squeezed Cordelle gently when everyone looked at him. “The Lucis Caelum’s don’t stop with Noctis. Because of my kids,” he explained.

“Oh… uh… I don’t think Bahamut thought of that,” Noctis said, looking to Ignis who shrugged helplessly. “How did you even figure that out…?”

“Ardyn liked to talk. He told me who he was. I just don’t know if they have any of your family’s power, honestly,” Prompto shrugged. “I couldn’t figure out why they both have such dark hair. It just seemed kinda weird, y’know? But then I just figured that it was the Caelum in them.” Noctis looked at Cordelle, hiding away in Prompto’s shoulder, and then at Reuben who was still half behind his chair.

“Yeah, I guess you’re right. They don’t look a bit like him,” he said. Reuben was the spitting image of Prompto for sure; just with the dark hair and without the freckles. The same violet-blue eyes too. “So… how about you introduce me to my unofficial nephew and niece?”

Reuben seemed to really like Noctis, once the awkward introductions were out of the way. Cordelle eventually decided it was safe enough to stop hiding, but not safe enough to actually let go of Prompto any time soon; not that he ever minded his little koala child. He managed to coax her into eating a little more too, while they all sat around and talked about what Noctis had experienced stuck inside the crystal; not a lot, from the sound of it.

“Always said you were the king of naps,” Gladio said, giving Noctis’ shoulder a nudge. “Make sure the next nap isn’t ten years long, alright?”

“Geez, sorry, not like it even felt like a real nap. I woke up more tired than ever!”

“Yeah right, like that was possible. You better keep up your energy, we’ve got a lot of work still to do,”

“Gladio’s right. We’ll have to head on back to Insomnia in the next few weeks,” Ignis agreed. “The people will be expecting us to start rebuilding soon, so that there’s a city to return to.”

“We’ll start with the hospital, some of the apartment buildings and the orphanage. I think we’ll need those most,” Noctis said.

“Not a bad plan. We’ll have to work on the Citadel soon enough too,” Ignis said.

“No.” They all looked to Noctis, who folded his arms across his chest. “Tear it down.”

“Noctis, the Citadel has been your family’s home for  _ generations _ ,” Ignis said, looking to Gladio who looked equally as confused by the sudden change in Noctis’ tone.

“We’ll take out my family’s belongings. The rest can go. We’ll level it out and start new.”

“Noct-”

“There’s nothing good left there, Ignis. We tear it down, and we start again. A new dawn, a new Insomnia. We don’t need the Citadel anymore. There’s no Crystal to protect, and no need to have such a large, overly expensive building. We build something more modest. I’m not arguing this,” he said with a shake of his head, his eyes moving briefly over Prompto, who had lowered his head.

“Ah, I see,” Ignis said once he realized what Noctis was thinking. “Well… I suppose we’ll have to start drafting a new floor plan then.”

“Yeah, we can start that tomorrow,” Noctis nodded, standing himself up. “Right now though, we’re gunna go for a walk.”

Prompto lifted his head to look up at him. “A walk?”

“Well… we’re gunna walk, you’re gunna roll. But I think it’s about time you got to see the gardens,” Noctis said. “Being sat in here isn’t going to be much fun. It’ll give your kids a chance to have a run around, right?”

Prompto looked over at Reuben, who had sat down with Ignis and a book that Aranea had managed to find for him. Run around… in the  _ gardens _ . Outside. He hadn’t even seen outside yet; the curtains had been closed ever since he woke up. “I… well… Yeah… Yeah that sounds pretty good,” he said.

Ignis stood up too. “How about I carry Cordelle for you?” he offered.

“You sure?”

“Of course, she’s no trouble at all,” Ignis assured, so Prompto let him take her. She seemed to be getting used to Ignis and Aranea, because she barely even fussed at all. She held onto Ignis’ shirt when he settled her on his hip, content to just chew on her other hand for now.

“Hey, Reuben, you gunna come with us?” Prompto called to get his attention. Reuben looked up from the book to find Gladio standing up now too. He quickly put the book to one side and climbed off the sofa.

“Where we go now?” he asked curiously.

“Do you remember the books in the library with all the photos in them? The ones with the pretty blue sky?”

“And the fluffy cloud things?”

“Yeah, that’s the one. We’re gunna go see it,” Prompto explained. Reuben looked at him thoughtfully, but nodded anyway. Ignis offered him his other hand, and Reuben took it.

“That’s settled then. Gladio, would you do the honors?” Noctis said, indicating to Prompto and the wheelchair he was sat in.

“Yup, I got ‘im,” Gladio said.

“I’m staying here,” Aranea said, propping her feet up on the coffee table. “I’ve done my share of walking around, these ankles aren’t getting back into any shoes.”

“Suit yourself, dear,” Ignis said with a chuckle.

Fenestala Manor was, thankfully, very different from the Citadel. They were already on the ground floor, but the hallways were wide and with tall ceilings that made everything look bigger and more spacious. The carpets were red and gold, the walls clean and white, decorated with various old paintings that most likely depicted past Oracles and maybe even some tales about the Six. Prompto couldn’t really take it all in, but he hoped that maybe he could see them all properly before they left here.

They stopped at two large, ornate doors, and he felt nerves settle in his stomach. There was a whole world behind those doors. A world he hadn’t seen in so long now. On his own, he probably would have hesitated, but Noctis walked up to the doors and pushed them both open wide.

Despite the Manor being rather well lit, the sudden onslaught of  _ natural _ light was enough to make Prompto and both of his kids shield their eyes for a moment. But then Prompto felt the  _ warmth _ that had been missing for the last ten years. Gladio pushed him forward, out onto the marble veranda that surrounded the ground floor, and Prompto lowered the arm he’d used to cover his eyes.

It was  _ amazing _ . “All these sylleblossoms… how did they survive?” he asked in awe. The entire garden was full of the bright blue flowers that Prompto had only ever seen in pictures before.

“We dunno. They usually thrive in sunlight, but somehow they just kept alive,” Noctis said with a shrug. “They were Luna’s favorites… I’m sure she’s the reason they survived.”

“ _ Mama _ ! It’s  _ blue _ ! Everything is blue!” Reuben said excitedly, letting go of Ignis’ hand to grab Prompto’s instead. “It really is blue! There’s clouds and everything!”

Prompto couldn’t help but smile brightly at Reuben’s enthusiasm. “Yeah, it really is. It’s gunna be blue a lot now baby. Though it’ll get dark sometimes.”

“No, I don’t want it to be dark again, mama.”

“It has to get dark sometimes,” Noctis said, squatting down in front of Reuben. “So that it can be night time, and we can all sleep. But then when we wake up, it’ll be bright and blue again,” he explained.

“Oh… well I guess that’s not so bad.”

“Hey Reuben, you see that big tree at the bottom of the garden over there?” Gladio asked, pointing out the one he meant. Reuben turned to look at it.

“Uh huh.”

“I’ll race ya to it.”

“Me first!” Reuben said, letting go of Prompto’s hand to quickly scramble down the two steps into the flowers and run. Gladio chuckled, giving him a few seconds before he followed. Prompto couldn’t help but  _ laugh _ . He laughed until he had to press his hands against his sides because they  _ hurt _ .

“Geez Prom, you keep that up you’re gunna burst,” Noctis teased. 

“I’m s-sorry… heh... I just… oh man… I don’t understand that kid  _ at all _ . Nothing seems to phase him,” Prompto said, having to wipe at his eyes. “He’s never been outside before… never seen flowers and the sky or anything…”

He watched Ignis walk down the steps to sit on the bottom one, setting Cordelle down on her feet. She wasn’t too steady on her feet yet so he had to hold her waist to help her, but she was eager to reach for the flowers.

“They’re going to get to see it all now. Maybe in time Reuben won’t remember all that happened. How old are they now?” Noctis asked.

“Reuben is five. Cordelle is about thirteen months now, and the last one has maybe three months to go… it’s hard to know for sure, they’ve all been early so far,” Prompto explained, gently rubbing a hand over his belly. “It’s been so hard…”

“Ignis will get you all in good health in no time. Besides, he’s got three months to learn how to play daddy and you know he loves it really,” Noctis said, laying his hand on Prompto’s shoulder. “Prom… I know that… you probably won’t want an alpha again… but I’m here now, and I’m not leaving again. I’d really like to help you with your kids, if you’d like that,” he said softly.

Prompto looked across the garden. Reuben and Gladio seemed to be rolling around in the flowers now and he seemed to be entirely unphased by being around such a large alpha. Cordelle had sat herself down between Ignis’ feet, apparently keen to examine the strange new flower in her hands while Ignis kept her from being able to put it in her mouth. This was the family his kids had never been allowed to have.

“I can’t be bonded now, Noct,”

“And I can’t have kids. Honestly, I’ve never had an interest in a physical relationship… but what we had before was good. Just… being close and taking care of each other. Maybe it won’t be like a family, but…”

“A family sounds nice,” Prompto said. “The four of us were like a family before, right? My kids… they need that. They need that to have a good life and I want them to have the best… they deserve that.”

“They do. So do you,” Noctis said, squeezing his shoulder gently. “You more than anyone. I can’t promise I’ll always have a lot of time on my hands, being a King and all that… rebuilding a fallen country… but I can promise that I’ll help you give them all the best life. And you know Iggy and Gladdy will want to help too. Gladio loves kids,” he said, indicating to the big alpha rolling around with little Reuben. 

“I know you’d find time for us. You always did before we left Insomnia, after all,”

“Heh… well, my dad always found excuses to escape his work to spend time with me. Pretty sure I learned a few tricks here and there that I can exploit.”

“Master of terrible excuses,” Prompto teased.

“That’s me. Maybe if I’m lucky, fatherhood will make Iggy more lenient with me.”

“I heard that!” Ignis said.

“Wasn’t being quiet about it! Geez, can’t a King catch a break?” Prompto chuckled, shaking his head.

“Hey Noct, can you help me up?”

“Huh? You okay?” Noctis asked, stepping in front of Prompto and offering him his hands. Prompto took them, and with Noctis’ help he managed to get to his feet. Noctis hadn’t quite been ready for Prompto to throw his arms around his neck, but after a moment he slid his arms around Prompto’s waist. “That help?”

“Yeah… helps a lot,” Prompto muttered quietly, his face in Noctis’ shoulder. Noctis could feel his shirt getting wet, but he just held him a little closer.

“Good… I got you now.”


	6. Future

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The end, my dudes. Feel free to come scream at me on [tumblr](https://ardyn-lc.tumblr.com)

Two and a half months later, Prompto gave birth to his third child; a second son, with shocking blonde hair like his mama. Although his general health and weight had improved in that time, going into labor had been terrifying; the lingering fear of _death_ still in his mind. But he had worried for nothing. Labor was difficult, but this time there were _doctors_ , and Noctis held his hand the entire way through it all. His son was born healthy, and he and Prompto were both safe. He had let Noctis hold him first, and let Noctis name him too; they called him Lucas.

Only a week later, Lily Scientia was born too; Ignis and Aranea couldn’t have been any prouder if they’d tried. Once Ignis explained to Gladio that they had named her Lily to honor the Amicitia’s, Gladio almost had a breakdown. It had been an emotional day when he and Iris were named as her godparents.

“Lucas, don’t you dare put that in your mo- oh that is _gross,_ ” Prompto said, running a hand down his face.

“Mama…” Lucas whined, reaching up to him with his mud-covered hands.

“You’re not supposed to put mud in your _mouth_ Lucas,” Prompto sighed, lifting the three year old onto his hip. He rummaged in his bag with his other hand to find a wipe for his hands. “What did we say about putting things in your mouth?”

“Bad idea.”

“Bad idea,” Prompto nodded, cleaning up his hands and face. A short weekend trip to the Vesperpool had sounded like a great idea in theory; Prompto just hadn’t accounted for how much trouble his kids could be. At least Cordelle and Lily were content making flower crowns on the picnic blanket, but Lucas just loved to make a mess. “Don’t you wanna fish with Reuben and daddy?”

“Mama, _frogs_. You said frogs!”

“Yes I said we’d find frogs _later_ you cheeky devil,” Prompto said, tickling his son’s stomach to make him giggle. “Now don’t put anything else in your mouth, okay?” he said, setting him back down on his feet. “Maybe if you ask nicely then Uncle Dio will play with you.”

“Yeah! Uncle Dio!” Lucas shouted, eagerly running to find the alpha. Prompto shook his head with a chuckle, watching his youngest until he pounced on Gladio. Ignis and Aranea had the girls perfectly occupied with their flower crowns, so he decided to wander down the dock on the lake where Noctis and Reuben were. Reuben had taken to fishing with great enthusiasm, and of course Noctis hadn’t been able to refuse.

“How’s it going boys?” he asked, sitting down beside Noctis to hang his legs over the edge.

“I think we’ve done pretty good. We should have plenty of fish for Iggy to make something special tonight,” Noctis said, currently changing his lure.

“I got the biggest one so far!” Reuben announced, pointing to the bucket behind them.

“Yeah? You teaching dad how to fish then?” Prompto teased, which earned him an elbow to the arm.

“ _Cruel_. We all know I am the _King_ of fishing.”

“King of naps more like.”

“King of not eating veggies,” Reuben added.

“Is it pick on Noctis day? Did I forget to check my calendar?”

“Every day is pick on Noctis day,” Prompto said, leaning against his arm.

It hadn’t been easy to find the time for _all_ of them to take a vacation, but it was something they had all needed. Insomnia was still a work in progress, but more and more people were able to move into the city with each passing year and it was starting to blossom into a thriving city again. But it did mean that Noctis, Ignis and Gladio had a lot of work on their hands, of course.

Camping had been _so_ different to what it was thirteen years ago. The havens were no longer protected with magic, because there was no need for it anymore. Even after all this time, it was hard to remember that there were no demons lurking in the dark. Of course the local wildlife wasn’t always friendly, but even they usually avoided a large group like theirs. Sleeping out under the stars had just been new and magical in its own way.

Lucas wasn’t at all afraid of the dark, and Cordelle didn’t seem to remember what the first year of her life had been like. She did, however, still startle at loud bangs. Reuben didn’t sleep well if he didn’t share a room with her, but it had been a long time since the dark had frightened him. Unfortunately he _did_ have memories that would probably stay with him, but he was a happy child regardless of that. He had bonded very closely to Noctis, which had been unexpected but a happy surprise for sure.

Prompto still had nightmares, occasionally. But they were getting better slowly with time. Waking up to Noctis at his side helped a lot, and he was sure that they’d stop soon enough. Noctis was right; what they had was special. Their relationship didn’t need to be intimate to be everything they needed, and they were _happy_.

“Oh, damn Reuben that’s a big one!” Noctis said, pulling Prompto out of his own thoughts. Prompto giggled at Reuben’s proud face as he put another fish in the bucket, sticking his tongue out at Noctis.

Yeah, they still had some issues. But now they had a family to make things better.


End file.
